Senator Mark Warner led a bipartisan effort to introduce the Kidney Health Connect Act which would allow dialysis clinics to act as originating sites for telehealth services.

The bill was cosponsored by Sen. John Barrasso M.D. (R-WY) and Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Dan Kildee (D-MI), John Joyce M.D. (R-PA), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE).

The legislation also removes a 20% facility fee coinsurance obligation for patients utilizing telehealth services at the clinic.

This will help patients avoid additional costs and keep initial costs lower.

This effort is in addition to a 2018 initiative which expanded telehealth to home dialysis.

Warner originally co-sponsored a bill in 2016 which was reintroduced in 2021 advocating for telehealth to ease access to healthcare.

To view a copy of the bill, click here.